Powerade Promotes Mental Wellness in New Global Campaign
March 18, 2022
Coca-Cola's Powerade brand is challenging the ‘win at all cost’ mindset with a new international campaign encouraging athletes to take a breath and pause to promote mental rest. The initiative kicked off on March 13 during the NCAA March Madness (college basketball) Selection Sunday in the US with a humorous TV ad featuring star athletes, USA Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and Great Britain Olympic diver Tom Daley among others.
The Pause is Power campaign highlights some of the world's most inspiring ambassadors and celebrates pausing to refuel, rethink and recharge as a sign of power, not weakness states Bruno Bertelli, Global Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Worldwide.
Powerade gathered insights and perspectives from young people in the United States, Mexico, South Africa, Germany and Australia to influence and shape the campaign's strategy. The initiative will launch a new global communications platform prioritizing wellbeing over winning, focusing on the ‘pause’ as a way to regenerate one's physicality and mental wellbeing.
“Competition comes with great pressure and intensity, and it's important to remind people of the power that can be found in the simple act of a pause, allowing us to come back better and stronger,” says Claire Pinel, Powerade Global Brand Director. The campaign’s film, created in partnership with Publicis Groupe, stars Premier League coach Antonio Conte and former NBA stars Chris Webber and Jason Williams, along with Biles and Daley.
Over the last few years, mental health has taken center stage with tennis star, Naomi Osaka, pulling out of the French Open last year, and the GOAT of gymnastics, Biles withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympic Games. According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) brief, in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety and depression increased by 25% worldwide. “This is a wake-up call to all countries to pay more attention to mental health and do a better job of supporting their populations,” said WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Laura Legrenzi, Global Senior Manager, Shopper and Consumer Content at Coca Cola said` that Biles was a primary inspiration for this creative concept along with Gen Z consumers who are motivating us to talk about sports in a different way. “They’re taking a more conscious approach to competing and winning – they want to be great, but also have a life – and are not willing to sacrifice their happiness and wellbeing.”
Biles says that the campaign is a timely reminder to take a moment when we need it, whether that’s taking a deep breath or a season out for an athlete. “We push ourselves hard physically and emotionally to achieve our dreams but if we are not our best mentally, then we are not maximizing our full potential. I want to help encourage everybody to be kinder to themselves because that’s when we’re at our strongest and we can achieve the most.”
As part of the platform, student-athletes in North America can enter the Press Pause Contest by April 5 for a chance to be one of 20 athletes to win $10,000 for their off-season break.